Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party – DVC Duo’s Holiday Guide

“There ain’t no party like a…” Mickey party! Sometimes it just writes itself. Today in our Holiday Guide Series we’re diving into Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at the Magic Kingdom. For more details around the Magic Kingdom holiday events check out the Magic Kingdom Holiday Guide. On to the good stuff!

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is a hard ticketed event available on certain days from November 8th through December 21st. For ticket prices and dates please check out the following link, as pricing varies based on the day. The party kicks off at 7 pm and runs through 12 am with a limited number of tickets per event.

Passholder Insight: With your ticket you’re able to enter the Magic Kingdom at 4 pm on the day of the party. A great way to save money is to not purchase a regular ticket for the day of the party and use the morning to check out the holiday decorations at the different hotels.

Holiday Cookies!

Free Food?! Did Someone Say Free Food?!

Who doesn’t like free food? Like a free t-shirt, we all enjoy a free nibble. Spread throughout the park are holiday treat stations, with each stop comes a new holiday delight. Every year is a little different, but you can expect anything from a snowman pretzel to peppermint crunch (yum!) to even a Christmas classic – molasses cookie! Sugar for all! We need to make it til midnight! Outside of the quick bites each station offers a non-alcoholic drink. My go to has to be the eggnog queue Serena yuck face!

In addition to the free treats, Disney pastry chefs create uniquely themed snacks for purchase. The offerings are usually more dessert like and you’ll find them at most of the snack and quick serve locations. Just in case you’re looking for a little more sugar to carry you through the night!

Mickey’s Castle Show

Shows! So Many Shows!

Warm up those vocal cords, it’s time to go caroling with Mickey! All around the Magic Kingdom you’ll find different shows sprinkled throughout the night. Outside A Frozen Holiday Wish, which we covered in our Magic Kingdom guide, you’ll find Mickey and friends bringing holiday cheer and delight in a memorable show on the stage in front of the castle. Being Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, this is the headliner show and it goes on 4 times per party.

Passholder Insight: As it gets later into the night, Mickey’s show gets less busy. We like to catch the last show around 11:55 pm. It’s a great way to take the holiday spirit home with you!

Besides Mickey’s show you can also get your fill of Christmas carols and Disney characters at the Tomorrowland Rockettower Plaza Stage. With two different shows the Rockettower Plaza Stage is hopping all night. The first show features the a cappella stylings of VoicePlay. They play 4 times per night, and bring their twist on the classic carols. The second show is pure Disney filled with our favorite characters celebrating Christmas Tomorrowland style! Just like the other shows you can catch it at 4 different times per night. Definitely check the times when you get to the party, as they may change.

Jack Skeleton is Ready for Christmas

Characters! I Want to Meet Characters!

By far one of the coolest things at any hard ticket Disney event are the character encounters. You never know who may show up, but you can bank it on it being rare Disney Characters, like Jack Skeleton as Sandy Claws! Definitely a memorable picture! Keep an eye on the My Disney Experience App, as they pop-up at different times during the night in different locations.

Time to bust out your best dance moves at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe. A couple of DVC Duo go to moves have to be the sprinkler and lawn mower. You can dance the night away with the characters at “Club Tinsel”!

Holiday Wishes

Fireworks! Um,Yeah!

What’s Walt Disney World without fireworks? I don’t want to know! At 10 pm grab your seat in front of the castle for Holiday Wishes. We recommend finding your spot about 30 to 45 minutes before the show. There really isn’t a bad view from the front of the castle, our favorites are either neither the Walt and Mickey statue or anywhere near the back half of the “hub” (the hub is the whole area in front of the castle back to the start of Main Street). You can see the fireworks anywhere in the park, but we would recommend having a view of the castle front, as this is Disney and there’s more than just the fireworks.

Passholder Insight: If you’re not heading to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party on your trip you can still catch the fireworks from around Bay Lake either on the beach at The Grand Floridian or Polynesian Resorts. If you’re looking for a unique experience you can look for a reservation at the California Grill at The Contemporary Resort where you can see the fireworks from the top of the hotel in the restaurant.

Toy Soldiers in Christmas Parade

Parade Time!

The showstopper has to be the parade. We’ve all seen it Christmas morning on TV. It’s even better in person! The Toy Soldiers alone are worth it. At every Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party the parade goes on twice, once at 8:30 pm and again at 11 pm. The parade runs from Main Street through Liberty Square and out to Frontierland. There is no bad place to watch it. If you’re going to the 8:30 pm parade we would recommend grabbing a seat around the “hub”, as it makes it super easy to catch the fireworks afterwards. Bonus, in between the parade and fireworks you may be able to catch Mickey’s stage show! Winning!

Passholder Insight: Check the weather before you head out to the party. If everything looks good (no rain) the later parade tends to be quieter. If there is rain in the forecast for late at night you want to try can see the earlier parade to “play it safe”.

Plenty of Holiday Merch

The Extras! Rides and Swag!

Oh yeah, I almost forgot! The majority of the rides and attractions are also open during the party! It’s a great time to find shorter lines for the more popular attractions. Our recommendation would be to squeeze in a ride where you can, but avoid jumping in any lines that are over 20 minutes. Raise your hand Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, you know we’re talking about you! The last thing you want to do is spending the majority of party in a line, so much to see!

If you’re looking for some Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party merch check out the Emporium on Main Street. They will have the biggest selection. A DVC Duo favorite is the Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe in Liberty Square. We have a Christmas ornament or two from there!

We’ve definitely enjoyed Mickey’s Very Christmas Party and would definitely recommend it!